Laundry is separated into two different categories: Those who stay far away from the hamper and those who find peace and comfort while folding socks and sweaters. Whether laundry day sparks joy or misery—much like taxes—there's no getting around it.
We have to pretreat, wash, dry, steam, iron, fold, put away our clothes, and the list goes on. While laundry can feel like a labor-intensive task, there are plenty of top-of-the-line washers and dryers to make laundry day less of a chore.
If you’re doing laundry for an entire household, it can feel like a never-ending job. Relying on a high-quality laundry pair certainly helps, but you can ease your burden even further and save time with some nifty laundry room accessories.
It’s not just about doing away with laundry altogether; it’s about making each step a little more manageable. If you’re looking to optimize the performance of your washing machine and enhance the precision of your dryer, these accessories will ensure your laundry routine is more organized, efficient, and yes—more enjoyable.
1.Dryer Balls
As a replacement for fabric softener, dryer balls can help speed up the dry time by 25 percent. They increase friction during the dry cycle which helps clean your clothes more efficiently. The soft nodules gently massage the fabrics to give them a naturally fluffy brand-new look.
Your clothes will dry faster, be less prone to damage, and the dryer balls reduce static cling so you can spend less time ironing. If you’re using dryer balls made of wool, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and they’ll disperse the pleasant scent onto your clothes. Your fabrics will smell amazing without that artificial dryer sheet scent.
2. Detergents
You might not consider detergent an accessory, but it is certainly your washing machine’s right-hand man.
You probably store your detergent in the laundry room already, but the key isn’t to use copious amounts of soap—it's about using the right kind of detergent and the right amount to ensure proper fabric care and better results. Using an excess of detergent can cause allergies, skin irritation, and can be very harsh on clothes.
The amount of detergent you should be using depends on the type of laundry appliance you own. A top-load washer leaves more of a lather on your fabrics because it doesn’t spin at great speeds, and a front-load washer uses far less water to be able to breakdown an excess of detergent.
The specific type of detergent you use should be based on the manufacturer's recommendation; otherwise, it could result in a longer wash cycle and potentially leave stains on your clothes.
Decide if you prefer powder or liquid detergent. Liquid detergent is a dependable option for almost any kind of washer because it dissolves completely and the exact amount can be measured easily. It's suitable for warm and cold washes but it can be more expensive than the powder option.
Powder detergent is more cost-effective than liquid detergent if you’re watching your budget, but it can sometimes struggle to fully dissolve in cooler temperatures.
3. Laundry Covers
This accessory can seem a bit excessive on the surface, but if you’re worried about the exterior of your high-end washing machine getting dirty or your electric dryer losing its gorgeous sapphire blue finish, you can invest in a laundry cover to protect the appliance from dust, dander, fingerprints, and humidity.
These covers repel moisture and prevent anything from getting inside the machine and damaging the expensive hardware. The best part is, you can still access your appliance and run a wash or dry cycle while the cover is on.
Most covers are designed with a highly protective waterproof layer that is easy to wipe down and remove for a thorough cleaning. This makes your laundry appliances scratch-resistant and still provides a clean and functional aesthetic to your laundry room.
4. Hard Water Protection
Less of an everyday accessory but a feature that will pay off tenfold, hard water protection improves the efficiency of each wash cycle.
It can be hard for detergents to dissolve in a machine that is connected to hard water, and over time, a layer of detergent can accumulate around the wash drum and the water supply pipes. This can breakdown the effectiveness of your washing appliance and your clothes may come out looking dull, stiff, and sometimes half-washed.
To treat hard water, you can use a filter that ensures a steady supply of clean water to ensure your fabrics retain their vibrant color and softness. Hard water filters help to reduce the effects of hard water salts. This layer of salt is what clings to your wash drum and affects the wash quality. Filtering out this layer of hard salt and other impurities before they reach your washing machine is key if you hope to protect your clothes and your appliance.
5. Laundry Basket
This one is a no-brainer. A laundry basket or laundry hamper is necessary when transporting clean and dirty laundry to and from the laundry room. You'll never have to look at the mountain of dirty clothes left behind in your bedroom, laundry baskets come in all different shapes and sizes to handle any laundry need big or small.
Laundry baskets aren’t just the hard plastic bins you used to play “rocket ship” in when you were a kid; they are made in a variety of materials to fit with a more modern laundry room or mudroom design.
And when your hamper isn’t full of clothes, you can use one or multiple baskets to store other helpful supplies. If you like to hang clothes to air-dry, keep some coat hangers handy. If you don’t want your detergent and cleaning supplies left out in the open and your appliances don’t have pedestals, you can store everything in your basket and take it all with you to the laundry room when you’re ready to start a fresh cycle.
Baskets and hampers make laundry day more convenient and organized while keeping all the clutter out of sight.
6. Drying Rack
Even if you’re running a delicate cycle, low-heat, or steam-dry, there are some items you just don’t want to dry. You might be washing a special dress, your favorite sweater, or a pair of slacks and don’t want to risk damage or shrinkage in the dryer. This is where a drying rack becomes your saving grace.
Most drying racks are collapsible for easy storage and will fit snugly between your appliances or behind your laundry room door. You can find drying racks made of wood, plastic, or stainless steel, as well as racks that are retractive, wall-mounted, or set on wheels. Some are made for indoor use and others can handle the sunlight if you prefer to dry your clothes with fresh, natural light.
It’s an easy way to take care of all those delicate items that are best left to air-dry. It might take a little longer for your fabrics to dry, but it’s still a more convenient option than rushing to transfer the laundry multiple times. It reduces the volume in which you need to run the dryer, saving you money in the long run.
7. Iron and Ironing Board
You’ve made it through the wash and dry cycle, but now here comes the most challenging part of laundry day: ironing. If you don’t dry your clothes at a high enough temperature or overload your dryer; your clothes might be left with a few wrinkles.
Even if your fabrics are wrinkle-free and you simply want to press a button-down shirt or pair of dress pants, a quick iron can give your clothes a well-polished, clean, and crisp look.
You can find irons with non-stick soleplates, large water tank capacities, and various features, such as temperature control, indicator lights, steam burst, steam control, and multiple precision tips. Use your iron to remove creases or touch up any garment to revamp the look of your outfit.
You can oftentimes find a set with the ironing board included. Most ironing boards are slim enough to fold away for easy storage, and if both accessories are kept in plain sight, you’re more likely to finish your ironing instead of walking around in wrinkled clothes.
8. Folding Station
This is something most of us do not properly utilize. We might fold our laundry in the family room while watching our favorite cooking shows so it’s a little more bearable, but over time, you’ll find yourself getting distracted or putting off the folding until the end of the day.
But let us tell you, if you think folding is bad, there’s nothing worse than seeing a full hamper waiting for you at the end of the day when you’re ready to plop down in bed.
There are a few different space-saving options for a folding station. You can install a folding table, use a large ironing board, or even one of your extra laundry baskets.
Leaving these items in your laundry room allows you to keep your space organized and finish the laundry right away before any socks go missing. It saves you from carrying your laundry into the family room and creates a one-stop-shop for all your laundry needs.
Start Accessorizing
It's time for you to create a central laundry hub and accessorize your space with everything you need to wash and dry with ease. If the first step is to upgrade your laundry equipment, stop by Don’s Appliances to shop our entire catalog of washers and dryers. We carry gas and electric models from some of the biggest names in the industry. Chat with us online, give us a call, or visit one of our stores today.